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Picking up points with Plink

As those who may follow me know, I’m interested in rewards programs. I’m a member of a number of them, as they open up opportunities to get a bit more back without doing all that much. I’ve been a member of MyPoints for 10 years (I’ve written about them before) and have experimented with other services. One of the most recent is Plink.

You create an account (made easier by connecting with Facebook if you choose) and then link a credit card in the same way you do so with Mint (and is probably the same tech powering this link). You can then choose offers, each of which can be redeemed as many times as allowed. For instance, you can repeatedly earn Plink Points, at the time of this writing, for each trip to Dunkin’ Donuts where the total was $5 or more.

The Plink Points can be converted to gift cards at a number of outlets; the way the conversion rates go, an average trip can net you a buck or two, more if the spend is larger and the offer’s better. Some of the offers equate to about 10 percent back, which is really good.

Given this is linked to pulling in your data, you can earn rewards multiple times, as a rewards credit card will then give you its normal deal. This makes it even more useful.

One big drawback is the limitation of being able to attach only one credit card, so it requires some discipline. Another is the limited merchant count – about a dozen merchants participate as of this writing. However, I’ve managed to accumulate quite a bit in credit in a short amount of time, so for people who seek rewards, this is definitely worth checking out to see if a merchant you visit regularly is on the list – it could garner you a bit more back on your purchases.